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Biggles Seeks Revenge
Biggle Seeks Revenge is a picture story which first appeared in the Biggles Annual published by World International in 1980. The story was republished in a album of Biggles comic strip stories titled Biggles contre le Dr Zanchu published by Miklo in 2002. The author/artist of Biggles Seeks Revenge is unknown. Synopsis Biggles witnesses an R.E.8 with a "dead prop" trying to make a forced landing behind enemy lines. An Albatros nonetheless pursues and shoots at the defenceless aircraft, causing it to crash and killing the aircrew. Biggles is incensed by the ungentlemenly conduct of the enemy pilot and vows to take revenge. Plot (may contain spoilers - click on expand to read) Biggles is on patrol in Mahoney's flight when they spot some enemy aircraft and move in to attack. However Biggles' guns jam and he has to break off and make for home on his own. On his way, he sees an R.E.8 with a "dead prop" trying to make a forced landing behind enemy lines. The aircraft is already defenceless and the crew are certain to become prisoners but still, an Albatros with orange streamers pursues and shoots at it until the R.E.8 catches fire, killing the crew. Biggles can't intervene because his guns are jammed but he vows to take revenge. He makes it back to Maranique where his aircraft is repaired. He then leaves a note for the rest of "A" flight telling them his intentions, and takes off again in search of the Albatros. Biggles crosses the enemy lines unhindered but then spots a flight of Fokker Dr.I's high above him. He is cut off and can't avoid fighting, although he is heavily outnumbered. He tries a desparate gamble and flies straight into the heart of the enemy formation, taking it by surprise and throwing it into temporary confusion. In the ensuring dogfight he manages to shoot down two aircraft but then the enemy regroups. Biggles spots the leading enemy aircraft and recognises it as von Richthofen's. He knows his time is running out and he is repeatedly hit. He has almost decided to go down fighting in his damaged aircraft when a sqaudron of Camels intervene. This allows Biggles to break off and head for home. On the way he spots a glint of refected sunlight and sees an Albatros diving down on him. He recognises it as the one with orange streamers, like before, picking on damaged aircraft. Biggles plays along and allows the Albatros to get close and then pulls up in a hard loop which places him on tail of his pursuer. He opens fire and shoots the Albatros down in flames. Characters *Biggles *Captain Mahoney Aircraft *Sopwith Camel *Albatros *Fokker Dr.I *R.E.8 Places Visited *266 Squadron, Maranique Mentioned Research Notes *The story shares some plot elements with Biggles' Revenge and Flying Crusaders in that Biggles goes after an enemy pilot who has fought in a manner which was then considered ungentlemenly and contrary to the laws and customs of aerial combat. But the storyline is entirely different and so it must be considered a separate story and not an adaptation. *Biggles executes a manouevre described in Biggles' Surprise Packet where he plunges directly into the heart of an overwhelmingly superior enemy formation, thus scattering and causing confusion. *The manouevre which Biggles performs to get onto the tail of the Albatros is probably that which he used in The White Fokker. Incongruities *When Biggles sees the British aircraft with a "dead prop" being shot down, it is an R.E.8, as the drawing clearly shows. Later, when he has exacted revenge on the Albatros, he says it is for the pilot of the "S.E.5". There is no S.E.5 in the story. Chronology *Biggles is in 266 but still a junior pilot as story opens with him flying with "A" flight and conducting a patrol under the leadership of Mahoney. So this would place it sometime in June 1917. In this respect, the appearance of the Fokker Dr.I's are anachronistic. Publication History *''Biggles Annual'', 1980 *''Biggles contra Dr Zanchu'', 2002 References Category:Derivative works